♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE BACK WITH MUSICIAN, AUTHOR, ACTOR, PRODUCER, AND
SEXIEST MAN WHO IS MY GUEST RIGHT NOW, COMMON.
IN OCTOBER, YOU RELEASED A NEW ALBUM RIGHT HERE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: "A BEAUTIFUL REVOLUTION PART 1".
THIS IS YOUR 13th ALBUM?
DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT?
>> YEAH, 13th.
THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE AN ALBUM?
>> THIS ALBUM, IT TOOK ME ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF BECAUSE I WAS
REALLY INSPIRED.
I WAS LOOKING AT ALL THE SITUATIONS THAT WAS GOING ON
OVER THE SUMMER.
I DIDN'T-- I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT MAKING AN ALBUM, AND IT
JUST CLICKED IN ONE DAY, LIKE, IT JUST WAS ON MY HEART TO SAY
SOMETHING AND TO SAY SOMETHING THAT WAS-- TO CREATE SOMETHING
THAT WOULD BE INSPIRING.
I ALWAYS THINK OF MOVEMENT MUSIC AS SOMETHING THAT HAS AN URGENCY
TO IT, BUT IT GIVES YOU A CHARGE TO BE BETTER.
IT CAN TAKE THE ANGER, IT CAN TAKE THE PAIN AND CREATE
SOMETHING INSPIRING.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED THE MUSIC TO DO.
I STARTED IN MID-AUGUST.
I FINISHED THE ALBUM THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER AND IT CAME
OUT OCTOBER 30.
I WANTED IT RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION.
I WAS ENCOURAGED BY ALL THAT WAS GOING ON.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN AN ALBUM IS DONE?
LIKE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE DIGITAL
FORMAT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FITTING IT ON EITHER SIDE
OF A DISK, LIKE WHEN WE WERE KIDS.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT'S IT?
>> WELL, I HAVE TO FEEL LIKE THE ALBUM IS DONE WHEN I HAVE ENOUGH
SONGS THAT ARE-- I WANT ALL THE SONGS TO FEEL LIKE THESE ARE
GREAT SONGS, BUT THEY ALSO SHOW DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WHAT THE
ALBUM IS, DIFFERENT COLORS, AS I WOULD SAY.
MEANING, YOU KNOW, STEPHEN WE FEEL DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGHOUT
THE DAY.
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL ANGER.
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL JOY.
SOMETIMES YOU'RE FOOLING LOVE.
I WANT THE ALBUM TO HAVE THOSE TYPE OF ENERGY AND EMOTION AND
COLOR TO IT.
ONCE I HAVE THAT ROUNDNESS OF WHAT I FEEL LIKE WHERE I AM AS A
HUMAN BEING AND THE SONGS SOUND LIKE STELLAR, THEN I KNOW I'VE
GOT A GREAT ALBUM AND I DO MY BEST TO PUT THAT TOGETHER.
MIND YOU, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS LATER, SOMETIMES YOU LISTEN AND
YOU WILL BE LIKE, OH, I SHOULD HAVE DID THIS AND DID THAT."
BUT I'M REALLY GRATEFUL AND HAPPY ABOUT THIS "REVOLUTION
PART 1".
>> Stephen: AS IF YOU WEREN'T BUSY ENOUGH YOU HAVE ALSO
STARTED A PODCAST.
PUT THAT UP, JIMMY.
THE "MIND POWER MIXTAPE."
WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
BECAUSE THE PROMO PHOTO LOOKS VERY, VERY RELAXED.
CAN YOU PUT THAT UP AGAIN, JIMMY?
THERE YOU ARE JUST CHILLING ON THE FLOOR WITH YOUR FRIENDS,
WITH SOME ELASTIC-ANKLED PANTS VERY CLOSE TO SWEAT PANTS.
THIS IS A PODCAST FOR THE CORONAVIRUS TIMES.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE PODCAST GIMEAN, YOU COULD CHILL
WITH THOSE ELASTIC PANTS IF YOU'RE ONE OF "PEOPLE'S"
"SEXIEST MAN."
YOU CAN DO THAT.
SERIOUSLY WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH THE PODCAST --
>> Stephen: AT LEAST ELASTIC PANTS COME OFF FAST.
THAT'S WHAT I KNOW.
>> I HAVE TO SAY I'M ONE OF THOSE DUDZ JUST BEING
MEDITATION, YOGA.
WHAT I WANTED THIS PODCAST TO BE ABOUT ON AUDIBLE WAS TO BE
SOMETHING WHERE I TALK TO SOME OF THE GREATEST MINDS, LIKE--
THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE LIVING TODAY, FROM BRYAN STEPHENSON TO
NAS, TIFFANY HADDISH.
AND I HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH HASSAN MINAJ, AND IT WAS
JUST LIKE I WANTED TO ASK THEM THINGS THAT WOULD BRING OUT NEW
ASPECTS AND THINGS PEOPLE NEVER HEARD, AND I WANTED TO GET INTO
THEIR PROCESS AND JUST FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM, YOU KNOW.
IT WAS REALLY INTRIGUING.
I REALLY GAINED A NEW RESPECT FOR WHAT YOU GUYS DO BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, TO SIT THERE AND INTERVIEW AND GO BACK AND FORTH
IS A TRUE CRAFT AND SKILL.
>> Stephen: WELL, DO YOU HAVE-- DO YOU HAVE, LIKE,
QUESTIONS YOU GO BACK TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE, LIKE, A SET RUN OF QUESTIONS.
THEY WANT TO HIT EVERYBODY WITH THE SAME THING TO GET A BASELINE
ON EVERYBODY.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUESTIONS?
>> YEAH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUESTIONS WAS, "WHAT'S THE FIRST
SONG THAT TOUCHED YOUR SOUL?" LIKE, "WHAT IS THE FIRST SONG
THAT TOUCHED YOUR SOUL ??? WHAT IS THE FIRST SONG THAT TOUCHED
YOUR SOUL, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: THE FIRST SONG I REMEMBER IS PROBABLY MY MOM
SINGING, "YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE."
>> AAH.
I LOVE IT.
THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL ONE.
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT YOU?
WHAT'S THE FIRST SONG THAT TOUCHED YOUR SOUL-- YEAH, SHE
COULD SING.
>> THE FIRST SONG THAT TOUCHED MY SOUL WAS A STEVIE WONDER
SONG.
IT PROBABLY WAS "ISN'T SHE LOVELY."
I USED TO LOVE THAT SONG AS A LITTLE KID.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE SONGS THAT TOUCHED ME.
IT DID SOMETHING TO ME.
>> Stephen: SURE, SURE.
IF YOU'RE LISTEN AGO IF YOU'RE LISTENING IT'S HARD NOT TO HAVE
HIM DO SOMETHING TO YOU.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: "A BEAUTIFUL REVOLUTION PART 1" IS AVAILABLE
NOW.
AND YOU CAN LISTEN TO HIS PODCAST "MIND POWER MIXTAPE"
ON AUDIBLE.
COMMON, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY ANDREA BOCELLI.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MAN.